There was a survey conducted recently that wanted to analyze and reveal how many people thought hardwood was a great addition to any home. The results proved that many homeowners found it to be a very appealing feature in a home. Hardwood has been making a steady comeback over the years, and it’s even becoming more competitive of a product in homes than ceramic tile, which is known to be a very common product to install in homes. More and more people are also starting to install hardwood in the kitchen so that the rest of the home blends together more effectively. Kitchen wood floors blend together very well with homes that are more of an open concept. Because wood flooring has such a comfortable and warm look to it, it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Hardwood Floors
No matter what type of home magazine you happen to open up, you’ll see beautiful hardwood floors in many of the homes. There are so many different types of styles of hardwood floors that can be used in homes, and that makes it a very versatile product that can suit many purposes. If someone is trying to brighten up the look of their home, they can simply choose a wood that is brighter in color.
Hardwood Flooring Vs Tile Flooring
It’s good to do a comparison between hardwood flooring and tile flooring because these are two of the very common flooring products.
Resistance To Water And Surface Durability
If you’re going to be installing hardwood flooring in your kitchen, you’ll want to choose the right type of wood for it. Because cooking utensils and other things can accidentally drop in the kitchen, it might be wise to go with a denser wood such as oak or ash. Oak and ash have very deep grains and contain a unique texture that will help to conceal any knicks or scratches on the floor, should they occur. If you’re wanting to protect the floor from water, you’ll want to use a polyurethane finish on it. The finish will also help protect it from scratches and knicks. If you’re wanting to go with a very dense hardwood flooring type, Jatoba and Santos Mahogany are wise choices, but their color will sometimes darken over time. To give your hardwood more breathability, using oil finishes will help with that, along with reducing the chances of any surface cracking. The finishes that work well for kitchens are the ones with a lot of textures. If an accident does occur in the kitchen, then the grain of the floor will blend everything together and keep dents or scratches concealed.
With porcelain tile flooring, you can choose from glazed finishes or unglazed finishes. No matter what one you decide on, they are very durable and tough to break. What is glazing? Glazing adds another protective layer to the floor that keeps it safe from any water and stains affecting it. If you’re living in an environment with a lot of humidity, glazing will also protect it from damage resulting from that. If you’re installing porcelain tiles that aren’t glazed, you’ll want to use seal them to provide protection from water and other elements.
What About The Maintenance Of Hardwood And Tile?
The maintenance required in hardwood flooring isn’t a whole lot. Vacuuming and sweeping it on a regular basis will keep it looking nice and clean. You’ll want to stay away from using any chemicals on it, and always stick with the ones that are suggested by the manufacturer of the hardwood.
The maintenance of glazed porcelain tiles is also fairly simple. When you’re sweeping the tile, use a softer brush. If a spill occurs, you’ll want to clean it up as soon as you can because it can get slippery on the tile floor. If the stain does end up drying, you can use cleaning products on tiles without worrying about damage. If you’re keeping up to date with all of the maintenance on your tile floors, they should be looking great for quite some time.
Repairing Hardwood Flooring And Tiles
The polyurethane lacquer on hardwood is known to be very durable. If you damage specific areas of your hardwood, sometimes you’ll have to just remove and replace the section. If the damage isn’t severe, you can get away with sanding the area and then applying an oil finish to it afterward. Sanding hardwood floors can be done several times, and it will restore the floor to its original appearance each time you do it.
If you’ve cracked your porcelain tile, you should be able to remove it out and replace it with a new one. If there is an extreme mold infestation in your home, sometimes you’ll have to remove the whole floor because you can’t simply re-finish tiles in the same way that you can with hardwood.
Things To Know:
Hardwood
Micro bevels are known to be more efficient for lowering the amount of dirt and debris between hardwood boards in comparison to standard-sized bevels. For areas of the hardwood flooring that receive the most traffic, you’ll want to use some non-rubber-backed mats. These are ideal for areas of the kitchen such as:
- Right near the sink
- In front of the stove
- In the dishwasher area
If you have chairs and a table sitting on the hardwood floor, you’ll want to put some felt-tipped glides on the chair and table legs to prevent any scratches that could occur.
If you have any pets with sharp claws, it’s best to keep the claws trimmed to lower the chances of any scratches on the wood. The nice thing about installing hardwood flooring in a home is that it can increase the value of the home by as much as $10,000.
Porcelain Tile
Porcelain tile offers a variety of different options when it comes to:
- Color
- Patterns
- Designs
You can even find porcelain tiles that look like hardwood. The nice thing about porcelain tile is that if you let your creativity take over, the options of what you can do with it are endless. Some people like to customize their floors with different tile shapes and patterns that suit their personality.
Some factors to consider with porcelain tile are:
- It tends to get fairly slippery when it’s wet
- The grout between the tiles will discolor over time
- If you drop a glass bowl or cup on a porcelain tile floor, it will most likely break
What Are Some Health Benefits Of Hardwood And Tile?
Hardwood flooring in your kitchen will create a warm-looking and comfortable environment while you’re cooking and eating food. It’s known to be a little more shock-resistant than porcelain tile, and some people have reported that they have less back pain on hardwood floors in comparison to porcelain tile floors. Sometimes medical practitioners will suggest hardwood flooring if they are dealing with ongoing back pain or if they have allergies to things like dust or pets.
Porcelain tile is a very hard product, but it’s also chilly and not all that comfortable to stand on for long periods of time. While the cool temperatures of porcelain tiles make it good for summer, it tends to make you feel cold in winter. Sometimes people state that their backs are sore after spending long periods of time standing on porcelain tile. However, porcelain tile is known to be a good recommendation for those that have asthma and other allergies because it isn’t known to attract pollen, dust, and many of the other common allergens out there.
What Are The Pricing Of Hardwood And Porcelain Tile?
The prices of hardwood flooring range quite significantly depending on the product and how much you get of it. On average, it will range from $3 to 10$, and that works out to around $5.50 per square foot. Again, this number will all depend on the type of wood being installed. Sometimes, you can get lucky and find deals on hardwood flooring products that have been discontinued. There are also chances that you might be able to find hardwood flooring of lesser quality for a cheaper price. Because hardwood flooring can be refinished numerous times, the longevity of it makes it a cheap option for flooring in comparison to some of the other products on the market. Homes that have hardwood usually sell a little quicker in comparison to homes that don’t have it installed.
For porcelain tiles, you can find them costing an average of between $5 to $12 per square foot. This will depend on:
- The size of the tiles
- The design of the tiles
- The location you purchase the tiles in
Sometimes you can get lucky and find discounts at certain times of the year. If you spot a sale that’s advertising a very low price for “seconds”, you need to exercise some caution with these products because the quality can sometimes be very low.
Installation Costs For Hardwood And Tile
The installation costs for hardwood and tile will vary more significantly in comparison to many of the other differences between these two products. For hardwood flooring installation, you’ll be paying around $2 to $3.50 per square foot. If you have flooring that needs to be removed, then you’ll want to add another $2.50 per square foot on top of the installation price. You might also have to include another $1 per square foot to account for the subfloor screw down in the event that the hardwood will be installed on the subfloor once the previous flooring has been disposed of. To prevent squeaking noises when walking on your hardwood floor, the subfloor needs to be screwed down nice and tight.
Installing a porcelain tile floor takes more time and more labor, and because of that, you’ll be paying between $12 to $20 per square foot. This pricing also depends on what type of tiles you use, as well as how intricate of a design you’re wanting to go with. When tiling is going to be installed on a floor, the floor needs to be completely level before even beginning. If it isn’t then you’ll notice issues with the tiles almost right away. Tiles are also fairly heavy, so if the subfloor isn’t reinforced properly, then that will have to be taken into account, as well. Floors and end up sagging and cracking apart if these things aren’t considered and taken care of prior to installing the tiles. The costs for taking care of this before installing tile flooring will be around $1.50 per square foot.
If you’re wanting to get man-made ceramic or porcelain tile installed in your home, you’ll be paying around $12 per square foot because of the additional time that it takes. Natural stone installation costs will usually start at a minimum of $15 per square foot. If you’re wanting to do a full natural stone mosaic, you’ll probably be paying close to $100 per square foot because there is a lot of customized cutting, grouting, and sealing involved in the process.
Budgeting Your Installation
You’ll always want to adhere to your budget as closely as you can. When installing your wood flooring, things you’ll want to account for are:
- Tearing the previous flor out
- Discarding the previous floor
- Underlayment
- Purchasing the new material
- Getting the new material delivered
- The labor involved in the entire installation process
- Fasteners
- Adhesives
- Threshold/transition material
- Base molding
- Stain
- Polyurethane
- Cleaning up
- Removal of all of the garbage
If there are certain tools that will be required to do that job, you shouldn’t automatically assume that these will be included in the pricing. If a contractor has to rent out specialty tools to get the job done, these costs need to be accounted for. Ensure your contractor is up-front about all associated costs.
If you’re going to be installing porcelain tile flooring, you’ll need to keep the same things in mind, just under a different scope. Some costs to consider are:
- Reinforcement of the subfloor
- A diamond wet tile saw
- Power mortar mixer
- Mortar box
- Employees that work under the contractor
Tile flooring is a big job that could potentially take a little more time than hardwood flooring. Depending on the design you want in your home, the contractor will need to be highly skilled to get the job done exactly how you envision it.
Architecture Of Your Flooring
There are many things to consider when you’re selecting your flooring. Sometimes people have funky colored walls that don’t match the rest of their home. Choosing eccentric colors might be very attractive for you personally, but if you ever decide on re-selling the home in the future, people coming in to view your home might be turned off by the colors. This means they’ll have to do a full paint job once they purchase the house, which also means they will be offering a lower price for the home. Do some research on what type of hardwood will look best in your home. Visit a showroom or ask a contractor if they have any sample pieces of hardwood they can show you.
With tile flooring, many modern kitchens will go with white colors that will compliment their countertops and backsplashes. Keeping things neutral will not only keep the appearance of a neat and tidy kitchen, but it will also keep things looking neutral, and that always a bonus when it comes time to re-sell the home.
Your Personal Preference
When it comes time to finally deciding on a type of flooring, your personal preference is what matters the most. There are some people that won’t even consider hardwood in their kitchens, and then there are some that love the seamless appeal that hardwood provides when it flows from a living room into the kitchen. Hardwood:
- Feels easy on the feet
- Is comfortable on the back
- Durable
- You can repair it if any damage occurs
- It will last a long time
- It combines with other architectural components of your home
With ceramic tile, you’ll be getting a durable product that is:
- Resistant to stains and water
- It will last a long time
- Great for hot summers because it feels cool under your feet
- Available in many different sizes and colors
- Works well with many different housing designs
After reading this guide, hopefully, you’ll feel a little more educated on hardwood and tile floors. It’s never easy to make a decision that you’ll be having to look at every single day. Take your time, do your research, and then select a type of floor that suits your tastes.
